The Ethnography of Communication presents the terms and concepts which are essential for discussing how and why language is used and how its use varies in different cultures.

- Presents the essential terms and concepts introduced and developed by Dell Hymes and others and surveys the most important findings and applications of their work. - Draws on insights from social anthropology and psycholinguistics in investigating the patterning of communicative behavior in specific cultural settings. - Includes two completely new chapters on contrasts in patterns of communication and on politeness, power, and politics. - Incorporates a broad range of examples and illustrations from many languages and cultures for analyzing patterns of communicative phenomena.